[Noble713]

I've got to agree about the planet development/economic model. Really, virtually every game I've played has had a disappointing economic model. SE5's is a step up from SE4, however, as the inclusion of maintenance costs for structures and populations forces players to put a little more thought into expansion beyond "Colonize EVERYTHING!!!!1111"

I'd really like to have a 4X game with a more realistic, complex economy similar to Supreme Ruler 2010's: raw material concentrations on the planet maps, industry-wide efficiency levels that can be improved, finished goods production that consumes raw materials, international trade on a market, inflation, loans/debt, etc.... I find all this much more engrossing than the simple "Trade = bonus resource production" model of the SE series.

Gee, the Amon'Krie are flooding the market with dilithium crystals and undercutting my profits. Should I improve my production methods to reduce my own costs, or just invade and occupy their dilithium-producing planets, and then ramp up my markup rate to recoupe the costs of the war?

But then again I'm an Economics major, so that probably impacts my suspension of disbelief WRT game economies.